When the Darkness Falls
by CptCommie
Summary: During a murder spree in Jump city, a P.I. has to enlist some help.
1. Introduction

The case to end all cases. Thats what it had to be. Sam stared over the files piled on his desk. Four of the files were double homicides, a man and a woman, twice two men, and two unfortunate strangers, one a vagrant, the other a pretzel vendor. The other six files were single murders. A business man on his way home, homeless men, cops on the end of their patrol. All the killings had three things in common. All were brutal, the victim suffering from severe head and torso trauma. Second, they had occurred at night, usually in the urban areas. Third, all the victims showed symptoms of fear, they pupils were dilated, some had there mouths open in a final scream, one had swallowed his own tongue. One of the cops had shot himself in the head, painting the floor with his brain and remnants of his left eye. Normally Sam was not approached with this sort of case, but the police where desperate, and needed all the help they could get. People said that Sam was "Old-Fashioned", or accused him of living in the past. Others simply made fun of his name, but with a name like Sam Spayed, that sort of thing was expected. Truth be told, Sam was the best damn Private Investigator in all of Jump city. That may have been because he was the only P.I., but that didn't change the fact then when he received a case, he made sure to follow it through to the end. Sam was snatched from his thought by a loud ring. He shook his head and grabbed the phone, not answering but waiting for the caller to make the first move. A few seconds passed, then a voice finally came through.   
  
"Hello? Is this Sam Spayed? This is the head of police, are you there?"  
  
"Yes. I'm here, what can i do for you?"  
  
"There was another murder, a hooker was killed. Looks like she was hit by a semi. This one had a witness however. I want you come down to the station and check this guy out."  
  
"Thank god. This may be the break we've been looking for. I'll be there soon."  
  
Sam then slammed the phone down, grabbed his hat and .45 colt, and walked out the door while tying his coat closed. He began the walk to the police station, it was only four blocks luckily. A gust of rain blew rain into Sam eyes, and almost took off his hat. Sam quickly grabbed the hat and sheltered his eyes. The weather had been horrible for the last two weeks. Black clouds hovered over the city menacingly, they had appeared the day the murders started, a ghastly prophet of times to come. He made it to the police station in only a few minutes. Sam walked in and was welcomed by a skinny secretary with thick glasses and a frizzy haircut. She asked him his name, then motioned for him to carry on down the hall to the interrogation room. 


	2. Questions

After a brief talk with the homeless man, Sam had a good lead. The hobo had described the murderer as a huge gray stone man. That didn't leave much room for error. He stopped at the high security prison and asked to see a prisoner. Two armed guards led him down a long corridor, cells on both sides of the walls. Filling this place where some of the worst criminals of Jump. Most where silent, probably plotting revenge or escape. One was outside however, in a cell with no ceiling. He wore a straight jacket and seemed to be mumbling to himself. Sam stopped and looked at the man, he had burns all over his face.

"Whats his deal, why does he get special treatment?"

One of the guards stopped and walked toward Sam.

"Thats just Dr. Light, he totally lost it. All he does when he is awake is complain about how dark it is. In his sleep he suffers from chronic nightmares. Pretty creepy."

"Yes, that is very weird. What caused those burns?"

"They have always been there, we found him like that on the street. They seem permanent."

They moved on until they found Cinderblock, the huge Grey monstrosity was unmoving, he was asleep.

"Has he been always been like this?" Sam asked.

"Yes sir, he has. This is the only way we can contain him. Hes kept in that air tight room, we keep him out with a mix of powerful tranq's. Is this all?"

"Yes, thank you. I can find my way out."

He left with more questions then answers. Sam untied his coat, it has stopped raining but now it was oppressively humid. He figured that if anyone would be able to help him it would be those super kids. _Teen Titans, yeah, they would know about this, they fought him for Christs Sakes!_ Sam headed toward the pizza parlor where they always 'Hung Out'. _These kids these days, we never 'Hung Out' when I was a kid. _He sat inside and sipped on some frozen coffee abomination. A few hours passed until he heard the bells above the door chime, and a familiar voice.

"...Did you see the look on his face! He had no idea what was going on!"

"Yeah dude, you really did get the drop on him."

Sam didn't have to listen any longer, he glanced over and saw the five kids. The three boys were exchanging some sort of war story, while Starfire walked behind, with an innocent smile on her face. Raven walked in, dismal and spooky as always. She seemed even paler, probably because any minimal amount of light she would normally be getting was blocked out by the clouds. He waited for some time until they took their seat across the room and received their order. luckily they were right next to the trash can, giving Sam the perfect way to casually approach them. He walked over to the trash can and threw out his cup. He paused behind their table and reached into his coat. All the muscles in Robins body visibly tightened as he kept an eye on Sam. When Sam pulled out his wallet he waved it around Robins face.

"Relax kid, I come in peace." _So eager to be the hero, hes gonna do something stupid one day._

Robin raised his eye brow.

"Who exactly are you?"

"I'm a private investigator in the service of the police department," Sam extended his hand, "Sam Spayed's the name, and I have a few questions."

Both Cyborg and Beast Boy looked as they were about to explode with laughter. Starfire looked on curiously.

"What is so funny that you seem about to explode friends Cyborg and Beast Boy?"

_How could she not understan-oh right, Alien._

"All humor aside, I still need some information."

"Ok. So Mr....Spayed, what can we do for you?"

"Well, I'm sure you know about Cinderblock, and the recent rash of murders. We recently got a break in the case. The most recent one had a witness. He says that a 'Huge gray stone man'. However the only one who fits this description is currently in Jail, and has not escaped. Do you know of anybody that fits this description? Maybe someone that hasn't been caught, gone unreported to the police?"


	3. The Answer

For a few moments the tension could've been cut with a knife.

"What are you insinuating, _Mr. Spayed_?"

The last words rolled off his tongue with a venomous tone.

"All I'm saying is that everyone has their own skeletons in the closet," He lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply, " is their anyone that you expected gone, banished, dead? Some one that fits these descriptions?"

Sam examined Robins body motion, it let on to nothing. He looked at his face and damned the mask. He looked around and realized that Starfires eyes showed something, a barely noticeable flicker of emotion. He learned to decode subliminal hints to emotion made by the human body in his many years of dealing with shady figures. He figured aliens acted about the same. He turned to his right and shrugged off Robin before he could respond.

"What about you young lady? I think you've seen something. What is it?"

She glanced to her left, then her right, open then closed her mouth.

"Its OK, I'm not trying to arrest you, I cant really. What you say here is between us, and these others," Sam waved a hand over his shoulder, "mean nothing."

"There could be something you may wish to know about-"

Cyborg suddenly stood up and shouted, picking Sam up by the neck of his shirt.

"What gives you the right to barge in here and start asking all these questions! Who do you think you are!"

Sam drew his .45 and placed it against the half machines red eye in a flash.

"I suggest you put me down, lest we make a scene."

Sam was skilled, but no hero, his hand was shaking like a leaf in the wind. Cyborg still set him down however.

"Well, I can tell I've worn out my welcome. Thanks for the help."

Sam then tied his coat closed, pulled his hat down, and holstered his gun. He threw his burned down cigarette on their table and turned away. His eyes happened to meet Ravens as he left. They were emotionless dark purple eyes. He became fascinated by them. She would be a pretty girl if it wasn't for the dark behavior.

"What is it!"

Sam became suddenly self aware that he had been staring into her eyes for about ten seconds. He felt some burning sensation on his face below his eyes. He darted outside and padded his cheeks with his palm. There was a trickle of blood coming from below both. He wiped the blood away and cleaned his hands on a handkerchief in his pocket. He pondered what he had seen behind those dark pools on her face. Some feeling had come through when she yelled, before he started bleeding. He knew she was capable of telekinesis, some even speculated that she was telepathic too. Honestly, not much was known about her, and by the way she acted he presumed even her colleagues knew little about her. He decided to walk home, giving him the chance to reflect.Starfire had been about to say something about someone, probably another titan, but that damned fool Cyborg cut her off. After a hour and thirty minute walk he came to the front of his building. Walking up four flights of stairs he opened his door. Throwing his soggy clothes on a hook Sam changed into some pajamas. He knelt before the end of his bed and prayed for strength, wisdom, health, and another lead in the case.

"Not even he can help you now, Mr. Spayed."

Sam didn't even open his eyes, he knew who it was. In fact he had half expected it.

"You people put to much faith in your gods."

"At least we don't call on them for dark powers."

"You know nothing of me!"

"I know more then you think, Raven"

Sam was slowly reaching beneath the bed for his Winchester 12 gauge. God had just delivered his break, Sam just hoped the big guy followed through with the others.


	4. The Labyrith

As soon as Sam felt the polished wood of the Winchester, he opened his eyes, grabbed the stock, and rolled beneath the bed.

"AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!"

The sheets above the bed flew into the air. Sam cocked the shotgun and rolled out from beneath the bed just as the legs were snapped and it fell to the ground. He stood and raised the gun.

"If you so much as twiddle your fingers or open your mouth, I'll blow those damned brains of yours all over the wall!"

Immediately Sam began to feel the most intense pain in his entire life. It felt as though his skull was being split open. He staggered around the room, fell to the floor and became unconscious. When he awoke it he had a pounding head ache. He was upright, his hands and feet bound together to a chair. He looked around the room and found almost all of his personal affects. His clothes were piled up in a corner. Even his guns were stacked in a corner, all with their clips and ammunition removed. His books, picture frames, phone, even his desk was in this room. Sam began to struggle with the rope binding his hands. It was tied slightly above the wrist, giving him centimeters of space to move in. After painfully struggling with the rope, he got the idea to rub it on the chair leg until it weakened. He rubbed for what seemed hours, occasionally checking to see If they began to break. Finally he heard a snap behind his back. He stretched as hard as he could, pulling both ways with his arms until they started to bleed around the restraint. The rope suddenly snapped. Sam paused and caught his breath, listening for sounds from the door in front of him. After hearing nothing he pulled his hands around and untied his feet.

Shadows seemed to stalk Sam as he walked through the many halls. His thoughts wandered back to the labyrinth. Sam had the common sense to take his coat and shoes with him, along with his .45, even though it had no ammo, he may stumble across some. He passed a bank of doors, he thought these may be bedrooms. All the doors were seamlessly shut along the bottom, no key hole of keypad in sight. He figured that each person may have a key that opened the various doors in the house. He searched all the doors until he located one that was not closed all the way, an errant sneaker blocked the path the door took. Sam reached down and silently pulled the well greased door up half way. He ducked underneath it and searched the room. Its tenant was wrapped up entirely in blankets, no skin was visible. Beside the sleeping lump of blankies was a monkey with tambourines. Sam turned away and shuffled through the war zone that passed off at one point as a bedroom. He found what he was looking for in a pile of rumpled clothes. A yellow colored circular disk, on it was a red button. He snatched it up and began to crouch out the door. In his haste he mistakenly brushed against the toy monkey.

"HELP ME! HELP ME!"

Sam turned around quickly, both his fists in the air. The monkey banged away on the instruments, singing one-two-three in a cheery voice. Sam quickly stamped on the toy as hard as he could, silencing it. The sleeper shifted ever so slightly, sighed then fell back asleep. The intruder cursed the abomination that had almost given him away, and set back outside. On the clock in the room it had flashed 3:29, so Sam assumed he still had plenty of time to make his way. He set back through the hallways, down a flight of stairs, pressed the button up against the door after some experimenting, and into a room at the bottom. Inside was a assortment of weapons and tools, ranging from masks to a devilish remote. He removed a old Lee-Enfield bolt action rifle from the shelf, because it was the only one with rounds still in the clip, and the only one he had any idea how to use. Sam counted six bullets inside, and an extra ten clipped to the front strap. He set outside again, the door automatically closing, back to the bedrooms. He passed the room he had previously entered, and opened the door across from it. Sam reflected how easy it would be to get lost in here, and took mental note of where he had been. He glanced around the room, it was totally dark inside, letting no other light in other then a skylight. The full moon was framed in the window, the clouds forming an eerie halo around it. He exited, and entered another. He stepped into this room, and saw nothing other then what looked like a thick power cord leading to a corner. He left and entered the next room more carefully. He opened the door and entered rifle at ready. The dark obscured most color and shape, but Sam made out what seemed to be a young girl who asleep on top of a giant stone slab. He cursed the occupants of the compound for such inhumanity. Rather then wake her now and try to get her out, he would first find out here they were. He took some blood from his arm and spread it onto the top right corner of the door, so that he could remember where she was.

He opened the last door. No one was inside and a single, dark light was on. Sam compared the place to Dr. Seuss' own personal hell. Various books written in many incomprehensible languages lined the walls. Statues of birds served as bookends, and the classical faces of comedy and drama stood atop a pillar. At first Sam could not quite figure out what was wrong, then realized that both faces sported a set of extra eyes. Leaving this strange disfigurement alone, he turned moved further into the room. A cold breeze set all the hairs on his neck up. Sam turned to find the source of this mysterious chill. A window, concealed by otherwise thick drapes, was built above a desk. Sam investigated the window, finding dirt in the shape of a smeared foot print on the desk below the window, and more dirt on the sill. Some one must have either entered or exited this room hastily, forgetting to hide their tracks.


End file.
